Schools are struggling to cope with increasing numbers of pupils with mental health problems, a study says. The survey commissioned by the NASUWT teachers’ union found teachers often had difficulty identifying pupils with problems like anxiety and depression.

Councils would have a duty to place children in their care in the best local schools, under government plans. A Green Paper on children in care in England is expected to beef up the admissions rules and oblige schools to take the youngsters if told to do so.

Children caught in the middle of court battles between warring parents would be allowed to express their feelings and wishes personally to the judge deciding the case under plans being drawn up by the government, the Guardian has learned.

The Home Secretary’s prison crisis could be alleviated if he returned professional judgement to probation staff when dealing with parole decisions.  At least 380 prisoners per month are returned to jail for technical violations of their orders.

Cancer research is set to benefit from £17.5m that will fund 13 Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres across England, Health Minister Andy Burnham said today.

Peterborough’s adult mental health community care has received a “good” rating in a national review. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust was praised by the Healthcare Commission for its many examples of good practice. These include the range of information available to service users and carers on both mental health conditions and the local services available.

A devoted elderly couple who have been inseparable for more than half-a-century have been forced into different care homes by social services. Geoffrey and Margaret Jones, who have been married for 51 years, have been split up for practically the first time since falling in love while working in the same office. Now their family believe their health is deteriorating further because of the heartache of not being able to see one another and are demanding that a place be found where they can spend their remaining time together.

{mosimage}Jack Straw has defended his comments that he would prefer if Muslim women did not wear veils at his surgery. The Labour MP for Blackburn went even further on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme saying he would rather the veil was not worn at all. The Conservatives criticised Mr Straw over his views, after he said wearing the veil could damage “better, positive relations” between communities. Downing Street said Mr Straw was expressing a private opinion. The prime minister said it was reasonable for people to express opinions.

Uttlesford Primary Care Trust has now become part of the brand new West Essex PCT. Five new PCTs have replaced the previous 12 across the county as part of a nationwide scheme which is expected to save the NHS £250 million. The launch of the new system follows a consultation which ended in March 2006 and asked people for their views on how primary care services should be run. Its results showed 90 per cent of patients experience the NHS through GP practices, healthcare agencies and social care agencies and the PCT changes aim to shift the focus of health care from hospitals to community-based care.

Social care workers have been subjected to a catalogue of assaults and abuse in the course of their duties across Oxfordshire. Files obtained by the Oxford Mail using the Freedom of Information Act show that frontline staff – including occupational therapists and social care workers – have been punched, kicked, bitten – and even head-butted in the course of their work in the past two years.